The Irish language lobbyists were up in arms (again) last Friday, protesting outside the Irish parliament on Kildare Steet. “What was the subject of their ire this time?” I hear you cry.
Well, make sure you are sitting down for this one, as this is serious shit. It seems that - hang on ‘til I check the spelling - An Coimisinéir Teanga (The Irish Language Commissioner) is to be absorbed into the Office of the Ombudsman in Dublin.
Now. What do you think of that bombshell?
Never mind the Universal Social Charge, never mind 23% VAT, never mind the carbon tax, never mind the health cuts, never mind… you get the idea. This is the most shocking news since Lenihan announced the bank guarantee. It is catastrophic. We might as well all flee for the hills this very minute.
What is going to become of the country? What? An Coimisinéir Teanga was set up to enforce Eamon O’Cuiv’s (who has the blood of Dev himself coursing through his Gaelic veins) 2003 Official Languages Act.
An Coimisinéir Teanga does work that is tremendously important. For instance, if a Gaeilgeoir hobbyist notices that the letters making up “Guinness Brewery” on a Dublin tourist signpost are printed larger in English than in Gaelic, he/she can complain to An Coimisinéir Teanga. Or if the Gaelic translation of the words is not placed above the vernacular version. Then, Dublin City Council can tear down all the existing signs and replace them at considerable expense.
Or if a language hobbyist observes a bedraggled queue of people standing at a bus stop, looking for real-time information on when the next bus might arrive, he/she can complain to An Coimisinéir Teanga and have the signage delayed until they show the information as Gaeilge (first of course) and English alternately. It doesn't matter if this takes a decade or so.
A language hobbyist can also apply to An Coimisinéir Teanga on the subject of automated train announcements if he/she feels that Gaeilge is not being given enough prominence. Thus, we can all enjoy interminable bi-lingual (with Gaeilge first, of course) announcements from the minute we get on the train until we get off.
Or if a government or local authority document has not been printed as Gaeilge, our language hobbyist can get onto An Coimisinéir Teanga and make sure thousands fly off the presses. Even if not one is bought by the public.
An Coimisinéir Teanga fulfills a vital role in Irish life, and my heart goes out to its dynamic, visionary staff who will have to vacate their lovely shiny building in Spiddal, Galway, to share a crumbly premises in Dublin with Office of the Ombudsman time-servers.
Shocking news.
There is no doubt about it. We are staring into the abyss.
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8 comments:
GOOD NEWS!!!! LET'S HOPE THAT THIS UNDERMINES CAROL CULLEN'S AND IRA/SINN FEIN'S ATTEMPTS TO SHOVE THIS GIBBERISH DOWN THE THROATS OF THE PEOPLE OF ULSTER AS WELL!!!!
"There is no doubt about it. We are staring into the abyss." Yeah one where the sign posts are as Gaeilge when really they should in Deutsche or française.
What do you expect? This country is infested with all manner of these self righteous yahoos. It sickens me to see my hard earned taxes spent on this drivel. We are a bankrupt country, yet spend millions on this bloody shyte. Worse still, that seems like small change compared to the billions spent on the long term welfare "customers" as they are called, between social welfare and the health boards paying out. Why should having a kid entitle you to be subsidized by the taxpayer and get a free house. Have more and they will build an extension. There are people who need support, but for many it is a career. On top of all that, over 600 million is given away to subsidize the wealthy in third world countries, our taxes. That is just the tip of the iceberg regarding the waste and squandering of the peoples taxes. This place is a joke, unless of course you are on the gravy train.
Hi GM, loving that montage. What a complete and utter waste of our money and for what. jobs for hobbyists as you say.
MR --GM this is most distressing news, shocking i tell you shocking ,i have written to MARIO at the ecb appealing for cash now, directly to mr ooooh CUIV instead buying dodgy bonds from those oily greasy types along the med where they hardly speak english never mind irish, i applaud EDNA and his ministers on thier huge effort to convince the diaspora to return to our little paradise to get properly ripped off by the best in the bussines so that all the fairys and leprachauns in the gaelge and failte depts can continue to live a life style fit for a bishop--a grand soft day tangod here in BH
Sure it's a great little country, boys and girls!
Dingle or Daingain, I was there a few weeks back all Americans and other tourists know it as Dingle and O'Cuiv had it renamed as An Daingain, after alot of lobbying of local business people they got Dingle brand back, and what did I see on the sign posts, some idiot painted out Dingle not on one but all signposts for miles around great what some folks have time for.
THIS MAKES ME SICK:
http://www.gaelport.com/default.aspx?treeid=37&NewsItemID=7126
PILLO HOTEL SHOULD BE BOYCOTTED!!!!!
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